System and method for controlling straddle-type vehicle

• US 8,560,173 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors Ltd (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Yoshimoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US13/560,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20130030649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 701/38, 701/70, 701/71, 701/82, 701/83, 180/197, 280/5.5, 280/5.502, 280/5.506, 280/5.507, 303/140
• US Class Current: 701/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/12 Cycles; Motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/165 acting on elements of the vehicle drive train other than the propulsion unit and brakes, e.g. transmission, clutch, differential acting on brakes B60T8/17
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1706 for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1766 Proportioning of brake forces according to vehicle axle loads, e.g. front to rear of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/18 responsive to vehicle weight or load, e.g. load distribution using electrical circuitry on regulation means B60T8/17; B60T8/30 takes precedence; responsive to weight and speed condition B60T8/58
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/3225 Systems specially adapted for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles B60T8/3235 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/188 hydraulic brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/36 Cycles; Motorcycles; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/26 Wheel slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2025/044 Suspensions with automatic adjustment

Abstract

A control system in a straddle-type vehicle is provided. The control system includes front and rear wheels, comprises a load distribution changing section which changes a ground load distribution between the front and rear wheels during driving of the vehicle; a slip suppressing condition determiner section which determines whether or not a suppressing condition used to suppress a slip of one of the front and rear wheels is met, during driving of the vehicle; and a load distribution control section which controls the load distribution changing section to make the ground load of the one of the front and rear wheels greater when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is met, than when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is not met.

Claims

1. A control system in a straddle-type vehicle including front and rear wheels, comprising:

a load distribution changing section which changes a ground load distribution between the front and rear wheels during driving of the vehicle;

a slip suppressing condition determiner section which determines whether or not a suppressing condition used to suppress a slip of one of the front and rear wheels is met, during driving of the vehicle;

a load distribution control section which controls the load distribution changing section to make the ground load of the one of the front and rear wheels greater, when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is met, than when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is not met; and

buffer devices provided to correspond to the front and rear wheels, respectively, wherein

the load distribution changing section is an attitude changing section which changes an attitude of the vehicle around a pitching axis during driving of the vehicle;

the load distribution control section controls the attitude changing section to change the attitude of the vehicle in a direction to increase the ground load of the one of the front and rear wheels; and

the attitude changing section changes characteristics of the buffer devices to change the attitude of the vehicle.

2. The control system in the straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is met based on a slip state of the one of the front and rear wheels during acceleration or braking of the vehicle;

and

wherein the load distribution control section changes the characteristic of the buffer device corresponding to the one of the front and rear wheels to cause the buffer device to be contracted more easily or to cause the buffer device corresponding to the other of the front and rear wheels to be contracted less easily, when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is met, than when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is not met.

3. The control system in the straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the load distribution control section changes the characteristics of the buffer device corresponding to at least a drive wheel of the front and rear wheels.

4. The control system in the straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the load distribution control section changes how to change the characteristics of the buffer device based on a driving state of the vehicle.

5. The control system in the straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is met, when the straddle-type vehicle is driving in a predetermined driving state.

6. The control system in the straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the buffer devices include a front fork or cushion unit.

7. A control system in a straddle-type vehicle including front and rear wheels, comprising:

a load distribution changing section which changes a ground load distribution between the front and rear wheels during the driving of the vehicle;

a slip suppressing condition determiner section which determines whether or not a suppressing condition used to suppress a slip of one of the front and rear wheels is met, during driving of the vehicle;

a load distribution control section which controls the load distribution changing section to make the ground load of the one of the front and rear wheels greater, when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is met, than when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is not met; and

a slip control section which adjusts a force applied in a rotational direction to each of the front and rear wheels during acceleration or braking of the straddle-type vehicle to suppress a slip of the wheel;

wherein the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is met, in association with control executed by the slip control section.

8. The control system in the straddle-type vehicle according to claim 7,

wherein the load distribution control section and the slip control section are constituted by separate control units, respectively.

9. A method of controlling a straddle-type vehicle including a load distribution changing section which changes a ground load distribution between front and rear wheels during driving of the straddle-type vehicle, comprising:

during driving of the vehicle, controlling the load distribution changing section to make a ground load of one of the front and rear wheels greater, regardless of adjusting a force in a rotational direction to be applied to the wheels, when a suppressing condition used to suppress a slip of the one of the front and rear wheels is met, than when the suppressing condition is not met.